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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119603">it's hard to be anywhere when all I want is you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamiraScamander/pseuds/SamiraScamander'>SamiraScamander</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Absentia (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Romance, basically the scene in the café in 3x10, because we need it, plus what happens in the hotel afterwards</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:00:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,325</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamiraScamander/pseuds/SamiraScamander</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Emily Byrne/Cal Isaac</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>it's hard to be anywhere when all I want is you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeeatbluediner/gifts">coffeeatbluediner</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was never as happy as when he received her postcard. He booked his ticket immediately while he gently caressed the postcard with a soft smile on his face.<br/>
How he missed her.</p><p>It had been six months since he last saw her, heard her laugh, saw her smile, touched her skin. He was desperate to hear her voice again, to be with her again. Cal was incredibly proud of her, but he couldn't say that the distance didn't hurt him every fucking day. </p><p>He entered the café determinedly. He wondered where she would sit, if he would spot her first or if she would wink him to her table after a few seconds. Turns out, none of that would happen, because he just spotted her working at the bar. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m so glad you came”, Emily said and smiled at him softly. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, me too.”, Cal replied with the same lovestruck smile on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“I got an irresistible invitation”</p><p> </p><p>He thought about the postcard that was currently laying on the table. It was a really beautiful picture on the front side, with her writing on the back. He recalled the morning when he got it, he burnt breakfast because he answered the door and was mad about it until he discovered the writing on the back of the postcard. He’d forgotten all about burnt eggs and immediately got to his laptop to find out where it was and get the first train to wherever Emily was at that moment.</p><p>She’s the first to look away after a moment of silence and filled a glass with some liquid. </p><p> </p><p>“I like the new look.”</p><p> </p><p>“Almost didn’t recognize you.”</p><p> </p><p>He lets her take in his words before he starts to speak again.</p><p> </p><p>“Almost.”</p><p> </p><p>While he did prefer her natural colour, he couldn't deny that he liked the blonde on her as well. He almost missed her because of that, but just like he said: almost. He would always recognize her, no matter how long they haven't seen each other or how much they have changed.<br/>
Cal looked up at her and his fingers brushed her as she put a glass in front of him. They share a look, and he was just about to say something else, when he heard a voice over a radio. </p><p> </p><p>“Target has made contact.” </p><p> </p><p>The male voice was quiet enough to be heard only by people in their close vicinity and the words stumble out of his mouth before he even finished thinking them.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re working something right now?”, he turns to look at whoever was her guy outside, probably the guy whose voice he just heard. </p><p> </p><p>She took his hand and he looked back at her. </p><p> </p><p>“Black-market arms' dealer”, she said while she intertwined their hands. </p><p>“The Police hasn’t been able to track him down”, she explains to him.</p><p>“What can I do? Right now?”, he asked. </p><p>She loved this about him. He always knew just what to do, and in the cases where he didn’t know, he always asked her how he could help her and it was a welcome change from Nick and Tommy, who would either not notice that anything was going on or try and start a fight about it with her. </p><p> </p><p>“Nothing.”, she paused a for a few seconds before continuing.</p><p> </p><p>“But later, you could…”, she said before she turned to him and whispered things only meant for his ears only. </p><p> </p><p>She leant back and smirked. </p><p>He chuckled. He could definitely do that. </p><p> </p><p> “Target is on the move.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alex, I have to go on break.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure”, Alex said without even looking up from the coffee he was making. </p><p> </p><p>“You feel like working together again?”, she asked while she put on her jacket. </p><p> </p><p>He smiled at the thought of that. He would love it.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you think?”</p><p> </p><p>He let his smile answer for him. </p><p>Emily tried to stay serious, she was going on a mission in a few seconds, but she couldn’t help but smile at what lied ahead of them, personally and professionally. </p><p> </p><p>“You sure I can’t help you?”</p><p> </p><p>“You should finish your drink. It’s your favourite.”</p><p> </p><p>She smiled at him before she turned around and left the building.</p><p>Emily remembered his favourite drink. Maybe he shouldn’t be surprised by it, because she is the one person he knows who noticed everything about a person and a situation, but he couldn’t help feeling surprised. He smiled to himself at the thought of her and what still lied ahead of him. </p><p>As he wants to take a sip from his drink, he gets distracted by the writing on the coaster.<br/>
It was a number, 227, written in her handwriting. Not even a second later, he found a hotel key card underneath the coaster with the name ‘Allsbrook Hotel’ printed on it. </p><p>He smiled and finished his drink to get ready to leave this bar. What was there holding him when she will be waiting for him somewhere else?</p><p>Later in her hotel room, they were enjoying the first time they could freely spend together in six months.<br/>
He put the light blanket over both of them, cuddling with her after an evening well spent. He missed her even more than he thought was possible. </p><p> </p><p>"I missed you so much", Cal whispered in her hair.</p><p> </p><p>Emily drew circles on his chest, while she snuggled closer to him.</p><p> </p><p>"I thought about you so much. Wondering if you still used the same shampoo, if you still wanted me, if you really meant your promise, if your hair is still as beautiful as it was before you left."</p><p> </p><p>Emily raised her head to look at him and smiled. </p><p> </p><p>"I actually do still use the same one, in case you were really worried about that", she laughed, and he smiled at her. </p><p>She loved that smile. It was hers, one that was so filled with love, and it always made her heart stutter in her chest in the best way possible. </p><p>A few minutes of silence passed before Emily started to speak again.</p><p> </p><p>“I meant everything I said before we parted."</p><p> </p><p>"Cal, you asked me what I needed in my house six months ago. I still don't need protection, I can protect myself perfectly well and I think we both know that, but what I do need is you in my life. I want to keep my job, as do you, but I want to make time for you. I don't need much, but I need my family and you in my life."</p><p> </p><p>"I love you", she said tenderly, before she kissed him softly. </p><p> </p><p>They kissed until they were out of breath, clinging to each other like a sailor to a piece of wood in the open sea would.</p><p> </p><p>"I love you.", Cal whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Emily relied on body language instead of words since she came back from the tank because actions told her more about a person than any most likely empty words could. She loved that she could always see the love for her in Cal's eyes, could feel it in the tender way he touches and holds her hand, knows it in the small way of him putting a hand on the small of her back while they walk through a crowd. He always supported his words with his body language, which made trusting him so much easier than trusting everyone else at the FBI or even at home. It scared her sometimes, how perfectly they fit together, how well he understands her, how easily she could feel herself give piece after piece of her heart to him. </p><p>Cal kissed her again, and he wished like he never wanted anything else in life, that he could be enough to keep her. To keep her in his life forever, because he was oh so in love with Emily Byrne. He was betting on uncertainty and hope, but for the first time it didn't bother him. He had found his home.</p>
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